Recipe credit: Darshana Muzumdar
Makes 8 puran polis of 9-inch diameter
Puran Poli is a traditional Maharashtrian sweet dish that is usually made on special festival days like on Gudhi Padwa, Akshaya Tritiya, and Holi. Making puran poli is a time consuming process and is highly appreciated by young and old whenever it is made. It is a favourite of many and is eaten with Gulawni, Coconut Kheer and Amti. It can last from five to seven days in the refrigerator if made in larger quantities.
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 250 gms or 1 heaped cup Bengal gram (chana dal)
- 3 cups water
- 3/4 cup grated jaggery (use 1 cup if you like it really sweet)
- 4-5 whole cardamoms powdered fine
- ⅛ tsp nutmeg powder
- A pinch of salt
For the Dough
- 1 heaped cup whole wheat flour
- 1 heaped cup refined flour (maida)
- 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
- 5-6 tsp groundnut oil
- ½ cup or more water (use as required)
- More refined flour for dusting
For the Gulawni
- 1/2 cup jaggery
- 1 cup water
For the Amti
- 1 large onion
- 10 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp grated dried coconut or 4 tbsp desiccated coconut
- Any masala powder
- 2 tbsp groundnut oil
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander (optional)
- Salt to taste
Method
Make the Puran
- Clean and wash the dal. Soak it in 1 cup water for 2-3 hours.
- Rinse and drain. Cook the dal in 2 cups water, enough to cover it completely and more, in a pot or a pressure cooker until it’s very soft. This usually takes two whistles in a pressure cooker.
- Drain the excess water. Let the dal drain well for at least 5 minutes. Use this liquid to make the amti.
- Mash the dal well with the back of a spatula or a potato masher. This may remove the need to mash or grind it later.
- Add the jaggery to the dal and simmer it on a low flame in a thick bottom steel pot, stirring all the time. Cook it until all the water is absorbed and the mixture is a soft ball. Take care to prevent the mixture from catching at the bottom. This may take some time so patience is the key.
- Allow it to cool slightly and if it isn’t a homogenous mixture, grind this mixture to a fine paste without using any water. You can pass it through a fine mesh colander or a thick sieve like it was done traditionally.
- Add the salt, powdered cardamom and nutmeg powder.
- Divide the mixture into 8 equal sized balls and keep aside.
Make the Dough
- While the dal is cooking, prepare a very soft dough with the whole wheat flour, refined flour, turmeric powder and water.
- Once it is in the form of a ball, knead it well with the help of 2 teaspoons of the groundnut oil. The dough should be very soft and stretchy. Traditionally, the dough is kept covered with the rest of the oil to prevent it from drying up. A damp kitchen towel can also be used for this purpose.
Make the Gulawni
Bring the jaggery and water to a boil and simmer it till the jaggery is dissolved completely. You can cook it a little more if you like it that way.
Make the Puran Polis
- Apply a little groundnut oil to the palm of your hand, take a portion of the dough and flatten it on the palm.
- Place a ball of the filling in the center and cover it up from all sides evenly with the dough and flatten it into a thick round ready to be rolled. There should be a thin cover of dough because if it is thick the puran poli won’t taste as good.
- Dip this flattened ball in refined flour, and roll it out on a rolling board to less than 1/4th inch thickness or as thinly as you can.
- Place the rolled puran poli on a frying pan and roast it on medium high heat until little brown spots appear. Regulate the heat as required to ensure the poli doesn’t burn. Flip and repeat.
- Remove on a wide plate to allow to cool before transferring it into a round chapati box.
Make the Amti
- Chop the onions and garlic and fry them in oil.
- Add the chopped tomato if you are using it and sauté till it is soft.
- Add the masala and fry for another few seconds.
- Add the coconut, the drained liquid, coriander and salt.
- Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.
Serve the Puran Poli with Gulawni, Amti or Coconut Kheer.
For the Whole-Food Plant-Based (WFPB) version:
- You can try to replace the chana dal with Kabuli chana but it is difficult to get a fine texture because of the outer skin.
- Also, it is difficult to make the dough without any oil. But where there’s a will, there’s a way.
- Use dates instead of jaggery.
- Use rock salt instead of refined salt.
- Do not use oil to cook the onions and garlic. Add a little salt to the chopped onions and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
- Add this to a pan and sauté on low to medium heat till soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds.
- Follow the rest of the recipe as above.
